Another Taylor Swift re-record is here, and it feels like Christmas in November.
One of the best parts of Taylor's re-records is hearing old songs she wrote for the albums but that never made the final track list. The songs "From The Vault" as they're called, have been little glimpses into more of Taylor's creative process and where she was in her life when she was writing these albums.
Red (Taylor's Version) came packed with nine vault tracks, which we took the liberty (you can thank us later) of ranking from "least incredibly mind-blowing" to "most incredibly mind-blowing" because it is truly unfair to say any of these songs are "the worst" of the lot. She just doesn't write bad songs!
9."Run (feat. Ed Sheeran) (Taylor's Version) (From The Vault)"
Taylor and Ed have both talked about how they wrote two songs when they wrote "Everything Has Changed." Obviously only one song featuring the same artist could be on the album, and "Everything Has Changed" is definitely the stronger choice. But we love Tay and Ed together, so we are happy to have this in our collection.
Favorite line: "There's been this hole in my heart. This thing was a shot in the dark."
8."Message In A Bottle (Taylor's Version) (From The Vault)"
This is the first song that Taylor wrote with Swedish pop masters Max Martin and Johan Shellback. When listening to it, it is easy to see why this was left off the album in favor of the more "radio-hit" sounding collabs "I Knew You Were Trouble" and "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together." It's absolutely a bop though, and we can't wait to dance to it while crying in the club.
Favorite line: "These days I'm restless. Workdays are endless."
7."The Very First Night (Taylor's Version) (From The Vault)"
This is another track where Taylor said "I want to be deep in my feels, but I also want to dance" and we love that about her. Who knew heartbreak could sound so upbeat and fun? Taylor did. She invented that vibe.
Favorite line: "I drive down different roads. But they all lead back to you."
6."Forever Winter (Taylor's Version) (From The Vault)"
Taylor has talked about how the vault songs on her re-recordings are songs that she wanted on the original albums but had to leave on the cutting room floor for some reason or another. This one definitely feels, lyrically, like it was left off in favor of the much stronger "All Too Well." This song has big track 5 energy, but "All Too Well" invented track 5 energy. Taylor made the right call here, but we are feeling very hashtag blessed to have it now.
Favorite line: "If I was standing there in your apartment, I'd take that bomb in your head and disarm it."
5."Babe (Taylor's Version) (From The Vault)"
How could you do this babe? Babe being Taylor Swift and "this" being leaving this song off of Red. When Sugarland released it in 2018, it featured Taylor Swift on guest vocals, but we deserved a solo version, and thankfully she delivered. It's a great song, and it probably differs the most from the "original" version than any others on the album (with the exception "Girl At Home") so its nice to finally see Taylor's vision for it.
Favorite line: "We're a wreck, you're the wrecking ball."
4."I Bet You Think About Me (feat. Chris Stapleton) (Taylor's Version) (From The Vault)"
This country bop has big "Mean" vibes in both energy and country twang. Chris Stapleton is the perfect person to duet with Taylor on this track. Sonically, it doesn't fit as well with the rest of Red which is probably why it didn't make the original track list. But at least we have it now.
Favorite lines: "I bet you think about me when you're out, at your cool indie music concerts every week.I bet you think about me in your house, with your organic shoes and your million-dollar couch. I bet you think about me when you say 'Oh my god, she's insane, she wrote a song about me.'"
3."Better Man (Taylor's Version) (From The Vault)"
When Taylor wrote this song while she was writing for Red, she ended up giving it to Little Big Town, who released it in 2017 as the lead single for their album The Breaker. This song has always been a breakup anthem to end all breakup anthems, and we always though Taylor's version of the song would be absolutely incredible. It did not disappoint. It is actually a crime that this didn't make the album originally. What was in the water when they were picking the tracklist that made them leave this off?
Favorite line: "I know I'm probably better off on my own. Than lovin' a man who didn't know what he had when he had it."
2."Nothing New (feat. Phoebe Bridgers) (Taylor's Version) (From The Vault)"
Do you ever listen to a song and think "wow, thank god I didn't hear this at X point in my life, because it would have become my entire personality?" That is "Nothing New (feat. Phoebe Bridgers) (Taylor's Version) (From The Vault)." If this had been on Red in 2012, it would have been an entire cultural reset. The default setting of society would have permanently been "sad girl autumn" and Pumpkin Spice Lattes would not be looked down upon.
Favorite Line: How long will it be cute, all this crying in my room? When you can't blame it on my youth.
1."All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor's Version) (From The Vault)"
All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor's Version) (From The Vault)
Taylor has been taunting us with the 10 minute version of "All Too Well" for almost a decade now. Saying it was lost in a drawer somewhere, when we all know that Taylor has it together too much to lose an entire song. "All Too Well" has arguably some of her best lyrics, and if you ask any Swiftie to name their top Taylor songs, more often than not this will be close to the top. We all knew that the 10 minute version was going to be even more intense, even more gut wrenching, even more poetic than the edited down version and it was well worth the wait. We could write a dissertation on the 10 minute version of "All Too Well", we could create entire college degrees about this. We want to devote our lives to studying it. It was more than we could have ever asked for, and we might be ok. But we're not fine at all. Just kidding. We are definitely not ok.
How do you pick a favorite line? By the time we type it out, it will change. But we'll try… Favorite line (at the time of writing this): "And I was never good at telling jokes, but the punch line goes. I'll get older, but your lovers stay my age."
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